


Doctor Strange: The Road Trip

by zenkitty555



Series: Doctor Strange and the Fall of Magic [2]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Drama & Romance, Feels, Fluff and Angst, Fucking, Hotel Sex, Hotels, Kissing, M/M, Nebraska, Post-Doctor Strange (2016), Road Trips, Romance, Rough Sex, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-02
Updated: 2017-04-02
Packaged: 2018-10-13 23:50:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10524513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zenkitty555/pseuds/zenkitty555
Summary: Stephen and Karl head to Nebraska to complete a spell, but wind up uncovering emotions Stephen thought were long buried.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Part of the series, and it’s recommended to read the previous parts before reading this.

Stephen wouldn’t have come back if he could have helped it, but the spell said that it must be done in his childhood home if it were to take effect. It was odd to knock on the door of a house he once called home. Even odder was having Karl watching him from the car he had rented. It had been quite the experience trying to keep it together his first time driving after his accident. Thankfully, the flat land that stretched on for miles made it a little more tolerable for him, as it was very different from the winding back roads of the New York, Pennsylvania border. Karl on the other hand continued in his struggles with modern transportation, and Stephen could feel the stress rolling off of him. There were moments where both of them almost lost it while driving away from the airport in Omaha. He knew Karl was trying to pull himself together in the car as Stephen tried to talk to the owners of the house.

When the owners came to the door, they had a nice chat, as they were former classmates of his. It was a humbling experience in a way, coming back to his roots. There were so many memories of the things that had happened over the course of his childhood and teenage years. 

He ran his hand over the wood of a porch column as he broached the subject of kicking the family out of their house for a weekend. It would cost them a pretty penny, but there was no way around it if they wanted to complete their task. 

As he was dressed in plain clothes, they didn't question his intentions. They had heard about the famous Stephen Strange, who made it out and became a neurosurgeon, so they bought his story about his sudden urge to return to the homeland. He was grateful when the family accepted his offer to take an all expenses paid weekend trip to Kansas City on such short notice. They had agreed to meet back in the morning to exchange the house for the trip. 

When he returned to the car, Karl looked at him as his hands curled around to bottom of his seat. 

“They've agreed, and we will be back tomorrow.”

Karl sighed.

“So this is where you spent your early years? I expected somewhere more sophisticated.”

Stephen ignored him. When he thought about his childhood, he only remembered feeling out of place and wanting to escape. It was what drove him for the first part of his life. Now it seemed he yearned for the simplicity of it all. He was actually slightly jealous of his classmates narrative, until he looked over at Karl, his face focused on the fields surrounding the house. His eyes followed the the moving wheat to a clearing where there was a stone marker his parents had erected. His heart ached seeing it, and he no longer wanted that narrative.

He turned away and started the car up. Stephen didn't look back as he pulled out of the dirt driveway.

“You look like how I felt in Transylvania,” Karl said.

Stephen didn't know if he was trying to pry, or just wanting to offer sympathy. 

“Well there are definitely no artifacts lurking in my house,” Stephen half-heartedly joked.

There were only ghosts left in that house.

When they got back to the hotel, Karl immediately changed out of his dress shirt and slacks into his robes. Stephen looked at him putting on more layers, despite the heat of the summer. He shook his head in disbelief as he just removed his clothes, refusing to put on any more. Sitting in front of the air conditioning unit, he took out the book containing the spell they were going to use. It felt much better like this. 

Karl sat next to him reading over his shoulder, as they had done this exact thing many different times over the past few weeks. It was a spell that had not been attempted in centuries, so they were worried. Karl leaned slightly against Stephen’s back. The fabric of his robes irritated Stephen’s skin, and he was just glad it wasn’t as humid as New York. 

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Karl asked.

The man tried to keep the worry from his voice, but it crept in. Stephen nodded. It was the only way to proceed at this point. Although magic was much more stable than before, they had to see their task to the end. They had hit a roadblock after their last attempt, as they were unable to open portals to places that were more than a few miles. It was frustrating and disheartening. 

They looked over the passage one more time, and he could feel Karl's gaze was fixated on the last part, the part with the warnings. Stephen always made sure to read to the end now.

“There is no other way,” Stephen said.

Karl buried his face into Stephen’s naked shoulder. He felt the man breath in and out slowly, trying to calm his nerves, as he had done so many times before. 

“You once told me that I lacked imagination for suggesting such a thing. I want you to reconsider. Don't do this,” He pleaded. 

Karl voice had more emotion than usual, despite the softness of its volume. He grabbed Stephen’s midsection, pulling him tight. It was odd in a way, it wasn’t that much more dangerous than what they had been doing, but to actually see the words of possible death in print shook them to their cores. It was a confirmation of what they already knew, that what they were doing was dangerous.

“It’s not like we haven't done this before, and look on the bright side, if I kick the bucket, you can have the Sanctum all to yourself,” He joked.

Karl let go of him, knocking him slightly by accident as he hastily got up. Stephen thought he was just lightening the mood, but instead he had made it so much worse than before. His partner left the room In a huff. It was an unexpected reaction, but these days Karl often hid when he was confronted with uncomfortable feelings. Stephen usually triggered these episodes, so he wasn’t totally unfamiliar with the situation. 

Stephen sighed finding some clothes to go after the man. 

After pulling a shirt and jeans on, he made sure that he had the key before he shut the door tightly behind him. The hotel was one of those places in town they would stick businessmen in, normally supply manufacturers or distributors, to show them hospitality. A man wearing sorcerer robes would stick out like a sore thumb in these parts. He walked over to the reception desk.

“Have you?”

The woman didn’t even let him finish.

“Your friend went across the street to the diner in a huff,” She said pointing.

He sighed, debating whether or not to let Karl be. Eventually Stephen decided to go over, as he didn't think Karl took any money with him. Although he had money, it was probably still in the clothes Stephen had given him for the trip. Stephen checked his pockets to make sure his money was still in them, and then he headed across the street.

It was a typical diner, one that had been in the town since before he was born. The owners had changed a few times, but it had the same look, and the same menu as when he was a kid. The only thing that had changed was they occasionally painted it every few years or so. He recognized the cook in the back, and he put his head down as he made his way over to the table where Karl was sitting with a cup of coffee and a piece of pie. Karl glared at him as he sat down.

“Look, I didn’t mean to upset you. Sometimes my jokes go a little far,” Stephen said.

The look of irritation on Karl’s face didn’t seem to ease after his apology. Stephen closed his mouth waiting for Karl to do something, or say something. It was very uncomfortable when he was silent like this.

“You joke about it as if it is nothing, but it is not nothing to me. I have seen you die, and I have felt your lifeless body in my arms, yet you act if it is nothing,” Karl gritted out.

Stephen had forgotten about that one time after they had destroyed an artifact together. It was one of the first times they had done it, and he had been so preoccupied with his interest in Karl, that he had forgotten about dying. It must have scared the man, but for Stephen, he was alive and it had been a lot less traumatic than his face off with Dormammu. He had just pushed it to the back of his mind. 

“It will be the same as before. We have no other reasons to believe otherwise. I promise to try not to die,” Stephen said.

Karl shook his head.

“Sometimes I really do think you have a death wish.”

“Of course I don’t, but I know you would sacrifice your life for something you truly believe in.”

“That’s the thing Stephen, it’s not worth it at this point. Magic is on the mends all by itself. We don’t need to do this.”

Stephen thought about what Karl was saying. The need wasn't as pressing before, but still he had his reservations. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but he felt like something big was going to happen, and they needed to be ready for it. He hoped it was just a feeling and not reality, but they needed to be ready.

The waitress came over to take his order, her gaze lingering over Karl longer than it should have. 

“He’s not from here,” Stephen said staring her down.

She scurried away, mumbling an apology. Stephen looked over at Karl who was still waiting for an answer. 

“You once told me that you would not bend to me, and I should not bend to you. So if you want to go, I understand,” Stephen reassured him.

“I won’t bend to you, but I also won’t abandon you, unless you completely over step the lines.” 

Stephen nodded. 

“You know that we are in this together. I love you more than I should,” Karl sighed.

Stephen felt the heat rise up in his face, as it was the first time Karl had said the phrase outside of their bedroom. 

“Yea? I love you too, even when you're sensitive like this,” Stephen teased. 

Karl ignored him, focusing on the pie in front of him. He took his fork and broke off a piece, bringing it to his mouth. He ate it, but he took his sweet time swallowing it, playing with the fork. The first time he did it, it seemed he did it because he was thinking about something. The second bite though was purposeful, as they were both watching one another. He knew Karl was being flirtatious.

Somewhere in his past, he must have practiced torture, because Stephen knew they would probably be stuck in the diner for another thirty minutes, as service was slow in these parts. He missed how fast they turned tables in New York as he watch Karl eat the pie bite by bite.

“Is it good?” Stephen asked.

He was practically salivating, as Karl broke another piece off. Instead of feeding himself, Karl brought the fork to Stephen’s lips. Stephen was fairly positive he was now as red as the cherries in the pie. Karl smirked at him, and Stephen took money out of his pocket. He wasn’t going to wait for his meal. 

“I want to finish this,” Karl stated.

“She won't be back for a while. I'm just preparing for when you do finish,” Stephen responded.

Karl took his time to finish it. Every movement seemed to deliberately draw out the process, and he almost seemed to count the number of times he chewed each bite. 

Finally when Karl finished, Stephen stood up and almost made a show of putting down the money. He didn’t know the exact amount, but he did know he left enough to cover the bill and a very good tip. 

“Don’t you want your meal?” Karl asked.

“We both know I will eat later. Let’s go,” Stephen said.

He tried to keep his tone smooth, but failed. Karl raised an eyebrow and smirked at Stephen. He stood up, taking his napkin off his lap and putting it on the plate. The man was infuriating at times with his lack of urgency.

As they walked out of diner, Stephen tried to hurry Karl along. 

“You know those first few months, you would never do anything so evil, but these days, I really wonder where you learned all these things. Especially with your innocent act that first time we were together,” Stephen said in a low voice. 

“I may have lacked experience, but I was never innocent,” Karl teased. 

Although their room was close, it seemed to take forever to get back to it. Stephen struggled with the door key as Karl looked upon him with an amused expression. He leaned against the wall as Stephen pushed open the door.

Before Karl could even properly shut the door, Stephen was on him, practically tearing at his belt and robes. He greedily kissed Karl, who still tasted of the sugary cherry filling. They had managed to reach the area with the bed by the time Karl was down to his underwear, and Stephen quickly disposed of his shirt and jeans. 

“I want you to fuck me hard tonight,” Karl said lustily, between nipping at Stephen’s lips. 

Stephen couldn't think of a better way to end the night, as Karl had been driving him crazy with the pie stunt. 

He pushed the man gently back onto the bed, and removed both their boxers hastily, before dropping to his knees in front of his lover. Karl lazily put one of his legs over  Stephen’s shoulder, as Stephen nipped at the man’s inner thighs. He nipped hard enough to make sure he left little circular marks, but not hard enough to cause real pain. He knew exactly how Karl liked it, and eventually he moved to nuzzle against the man’s balls. He breathed in before taking some of the sack in his mouth. Karl groaned louder than he normally did, and Stephen moved to palm Karl’s growing erection for a second or two. Stephen knew that he wouldn’t last for long if he touched himself, and if he wasn’t careful, even Karl wouldn’t be able to resist coming quickly. Part of him just wanted to continue this, until Karl came on his face. Stephen loved those moments when Karl decorated him with his cum, but it had been a while since they had properly fucked, so he wasn’t about to suggest a change of plans. Stephen was always greedy deep down inside. He wanted all of Karl, as many times and as many ways as he could get.

Before he could even get to the other part of the man’s balls, he felt Karl’s leg move off his back. Karl pushed Stephen away and they looked at each other with the understanding that it would be best if Stephen were to move on. 

Getting up, Stephen went to fish out the lubricant from their checked luggage. When he turned back around, Karl was resting back on his elbows with his legs splayed out, his eyes intensely following Stephen’s every movement, and his lips slightly parted. Sometimes he thought it was a real shame he couldn’t freeze this moment and take a picture. Although he technically could, Karl would probably be pissed and complain about him breaking the natural law yet again.

He chuckled to himself about that imaginary conversation. 

Karl raised his eyebrow.

“Am I amusing?” Karl asked, a slight edge to his voice.

Stephen shook his head.

“Just thinking about how a picture is worth a thousand words. What they didn’t say is that all those words would come at the same time,” he lied.

“Didn’t know you were such an artistic soul.”

Stephen was soon over him like a cat stalking its prey, and Karl scooted back to make room for his partner. His chest rose and fell steadily, although his eyes were slightly glossy, waiting for Stephen to begin. After spreading and warming the cool lubricant over his fingers, Karl tilted his hips up for better access, as Stephen pressed a finger against Karl’s entrance. He watched this beautiful sight, pressing into Karl. Each time they did this, Karl seemed to have an easier time relaxing for his lover.

Although the act sometimes bothered Stephen’s hands, the image of his fingers inside Karl was too delicious, and thankfully the pleasure tended to mix with the pain just enough to be bearable for the duration. By the time he added another finger and was scissoring the man, Karl's noises seemed to drown out any other thoughts or feelings he had. After he removed his fingers, and before coating his cock with lubricant, Stephen arranged Karl so his legs rested on his shoulders.

“Don’t be too gentle,” Karl said breathily.

Stephen positioned himself, slowly sinking into Karl, enjoying the tightness around him. He waited for a second, and Karl pinched him slightly to signal to start moving. He was being demanding, but Stephen could barely begin to think about that. He pulled back before roughly pushing back in, earning him the most delicious groan from Karl that he had ever heard. 

He tried to keep a fast pace while fucking him deeply. It took a lot of energy, and he felt emotion well up in him. Whatever had prompted this suggestion was a mystery to Stephen, but he was grateful to have Karl so comfortable with him. It almost felt as if he was able to see a new side to the man. 

It didn't take much, between the pace, Karl's tight grasp on his legs, and the noises he made egging him on, Stephen came. 

He snaked his hand downward and grasped Karl’s cock, stroking him until the man came. Stephen was still inside him as his body clenched down from his orgasm, and the sticky mess pooled on Karl's torso, highlighting his fit abdomen. It was not well orchestrated, and he knew that both of them would be hurting the next day, but it was the best sex they had in some time. It was so raw, dirty, and honest on so many levels. 

When they managed to untangle themselves, they laid there for a few minutes, recovering, before moving to clean themselves. Afterwards they laid there wrapped up together, listening to the sounds of their breathing. 

\----

The next morning when they went to the house, the owners gave them a tour of all the changes they had made. Stephen started to feel nervous about it all. He thought about what they had to do, and what he had talked about with Karl the day before. He felt conflicted by everything, and it didn’t help they were in his childhood home. There were so many memories left over, many of them good, but the bad ones loomed over everything. 

When the owners finally left, Stephen and Karl emptied the car of their cases, putting them in Stephen’s old room, which had been turned into a sewing room. It was bright and sunny, and had almost a clinical feel to it. His old room looked nothing like this, and it put his mind at ease a little. The less the house looked like his childhood home, the better.

He then realized that Karl had been looking at him for quite some time, his brow furrowed in concern. They looked at one another, as they began to unpack. 

According to the spell, they would have to wait until the moon was at its peak before they could begin, so Stephen and Karl decided to rest. Stephen felt awkward sleeping in a bed that was not his own, so he slept on the floor of his old room. When he woke, Karl was not there. He probably couldn't sleep, as Stephen knew he was also nervous about the spell. He went off to look for Karl, eventually finding the man outside. Stephen closed his eyes for a moment, debating whether to go over, or to ignore him. Eventually he turned back to go into the house. 

When Karl came into the kitchen, Stephen had been making some sandwiches for lunch.

They sat across from one another at the table. Thankfully, Karl was never one to ask too many questions or push him too far with curiosity. It was understood that the past was the past, and they needed to think about the future.

“Don’t you know how to make anything else?” Karl teased.

“Why would I need to when I have you?” 

Karl sighed, taking a bite out of his sandwich.

“Are you sure you want to do this?”

Stephen nodded.

“I’m afraid you won’t know when to stop. Sometimes we can’t fix everything.”

They started the same circular argument again, although they had learned to curb their irritation while talking about it. 

“I appreciate your concerns,” Stephen said.

The real meaning was that he wasn’t going to talk about it, and as the Sorcerer Supreme he had that right. 

“Not so easy is it?” Karl asked.

“What?”

“Revisiting the past. Whatever happened here is done, and it will never happen again. It’s a comforting thought and burdensome at the same time.”

Stephen didn’t really understand why the man was waxing poetically about life at this point, but Stephen had a feeling it had to do with his own mood. It was hard, but he suddenly had the overwhelming need to share.

“She was my sister, and I let her die in front of me. My parents always said it wasn’t my fault, and that these things happen, but what the hell did they know. They weren't there. If I had only been a few feet closer. If I could have swum faster. Then there was Victor and I failed him as well.”

Stephen stopped, as he had accidentally opened old wounds that he had not been ready to share. He had felt compelled, but immediately regretted his decision to open up. He knew that Karl had seen the marker, and from the inscription he already knew, but it was more real to actually say it. It was the first time he had ever told anyone outside of his immediate family, all of whom had been dead for more than fifteen years.

Karl hand came to rest on his shoulder as Stephen focused on the sandwich in front of him. He tried to hold back his emotions, knowing that he wasn’t hiding it very well.

He looked up at his partner, who was looking down at him. 

Stephen stood up and wrapped his arms around Karl’s neck, pulling him closer. 

“I can’t do this without you,” Stephen said whispering into the other man's ear. 

“I know.”

They stood there embracing one another for quite a while, Stephen’s head buried into Karl’s shoulder, and Karl cradling the back of his head, stroking his hair. 

When Stephen felt a bit better, he held his head up and pressed his lips against Karl's for a moment. He didn’t really want anything more, and Karl seemed to understand. Instead he wrapped his arms around Stephen’s torso, resting his hands at the small of his back. 

It felt good to be dressed in less clothing, as he could feel the man's touches and the heat from his skin easier. He always was warmer than Stephen, and it was comforting.

“I should go prepared,” Stephen mumbled, breaking apart. 

Karl just nodded. 

And so Stephen left the kitchen, making his way up the staircase that was at the side of the kitchen. 

The old farm house had a few different features to it, with two staircases that lead up to the second floor. The one by the kitchen was narrow and enclosed. As he climbed them, he remembered the time he took a tumble down them when he was about nine or ten, dislocating his shoulder. 

It was hard to believe that so much time had passed since that moment. Everything had changed, and when he sat in his old room, it was evident that this place would never be his home ever again. He had known that, but somewhere deep inside him there had always been that idea that if he just returned it would be there for him, unchanged. It was a lie.

It was a silly idea, as he sat inside his childhood home while Karl was somewhere else giving him the space he needed. He laughed at the thought, and his heart ached even more. He couldn't even imagine what it would be like to have Karl meet his family, let alone explain how they met. He day dreamed about what they would say about Karl, and how they would welcome him. He knew that they would eventually think the man was really Stephen's better half, just like Stephen knew him to be.

To be honest though, they probably would have never met if Stephen’s family had survived. If Donna or Victor had been alive, he was sure that they would have taken him in and kicked his ass before he lost everything. Victor would have probably tried to physically kick his ass, but Donna would have manipulated him to do what she wanted. She always managed to blackmail him into doing her bidding, even as a child. Although it was irritating at the time, he missed that after all these years. 

He picked up the spellbook, trying to push those thoughts away. Instead he went over the spell again. As he did, he sighed. That last passage started getting to him, and with his overwhelming sense of melancholy, it made him nervous. He closed the book and went to find Karl.

When he found Karl in the living room reading a book that he had picked up at the airport, Stephen sat next to him and handed him the spell book.

“I don’t need to do this. Let’s go back to the hotel. I don’t want to stay here anymore.”

Karl looked at him surprised. He obviously was shocked that Stephen had changed his mind. After countless conversations, coming all this way, and the expense, it was surprising. Stephen had been so sure, until moments before. Now he was sure that he didn’t want to do it. 

“Why have you changed your mind?”

“Why? You want to be rid of me?” Stephen teased.

Karl looked crossed.

“Again, not funny.”

“Because you’re right. It’s not worth the risk.”

It was true, but really Stephen couldn’t let his childhood home become a place of pain just out of the hope that it would help magic regenerate quicker. It felt insulting to all the memories of the people he had lost, but especially to his parents. They would be disappointed in him if he were to accidentally kill himself for something that wasn’t even a sure bet. He couldn’t disappoint them like that. They would want him to do the right thing, but also to live his life. They would want to live his life with his family, and Karl was that family now. He knew he wanted to be with the man until he ceased to exist, and he wasn’t ready to die, not that day anyways. 

“I’m glad you’ve seen reason.”

Karl brought his hand up to stroke Stephen's cheek, before standing up.

“Come on. Let’s go. I think we’ve spent enough time here,” Karl urged.

Stephen nodded. 

When they had gathered their things, they left. Stephen stood on the front porch looking at the house. He knew that it would be the last time to see it, but it was time to let go. He felt Karl touch his arm, and they turned to head to the car, with the sun setting in the background. Although they didn’t accomplish what they had come for, it didn’t matter, as Stephen felt he was more needed elsewhere. 


End file.
